Guide to "What to eat" at Disneyworld to help control your weight.
- dresuarez
- Jun 20, 2023
- 5 min read
Summer is coming and with it, vacation time! Being able to go to Disney with the family can be one of the most magical vacations ever. That's especially true if you have young children who really enjoy their characters. One of the issues that parents often worry about on these types of trips is food. First, that the children eat well and second, so as not to gain weight during the vacation while eating in the parks. To help solve this issue, i’ve made this little guide to present a few nutritional options.
What is there to eat at Disneyworld?
Disneyworld has a wide variety of restaurants and types of food. It ranges from the traditional hamburger and fries stalls, to world-renowned chefs' restaurants with Michelin stars (Disney Springs). Within the parks there are also several options for all tastes and budgets. Sometimes places don't have the best food, but the on-site Disney character experience makes up for it. We know that there is a lot of information on the Internet about what special food or dishes to try, the desserts to eat, the favorites of x or y influencer, etc. In this guide we rely only on the dishes by their caloric and nutritional contribution. We do not consider the experiences with characters or other topics, although if its the case of a healthy option it will be mentioned.
Lets go park by park to find out what options we have for healthy eating in each one.
Magic Kingdom
The favorite park of many children and many of the parents too. As for healthy food, it is one of the most complicated. Here are some dishes that, due to their nutritional contribution and ingredients, we could eat without problems:
1.- Chopped Vegetables Crispy Noodle Salad in Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe (Tomorrowland).
It is a large salad made with green leaves, grilled pineapple, bell peppers, and fried noodles. There is an option with roast chicken. It has a high fiber content and protein can be included with only approx 390 calories in the version without chicken depending on the amount of ginger dressing.
In this place they also have Chicken fingers with French fries, which could be the favorites of the children. TIP: One adult order easily serves two or three children to avoid food waste.
2.- The Sun Bonnet Trio Chicken Salad in Pecos Bill Tale Inn and Cafe (Frontierland).
Grilled chicken salad with strawberries, tomato and red onion. It has approximately 490 calories per dish. There are options without chicken and with carnitas instead of chicken, but in this latest version the calories increase.
3.- The Turkey leg inLiberty Square Market (Liberty Square) y Prince Eric´s Village Market (Fantasyland)
Smoked turkey leg. A true Disney classic! It is also one of the healthiest to eat. It has about 450 calories per whole leg.
4.- Fresh Fruit in Prince Eric´s Village Market (Fantasyland)
The name already says it, fresh seasonal fruit. They usually have apple, orange, bananas and grapes. Approximately 100 calories per serving but with fiber and vitamins. Better fruit than other snacks with added fats and sugars.
EPCOT
Perhaps the park with the largest number of healthy options on the menu. Let's go with some of them:
1.- Chip 'n' Dale Plant based Harvest Feast in Garden Grill Restaurant (The Land).
It's a big salad with seasonal vegetables, rice-pilaf, grilled chicken and something else. Approximately 490 calories per menu. It is a theme restaurant with a visit by the characters during the meal and views of one of the park's attractions. There are non-plant-based menus with Mac & Cheese, creamy mashed potatoes, and meat that bump up the calories quite a bit.
2.- The Mediterranean Vegetable Sandwich in Sunshine Seasons (The Land)
Arugula salad sandwich with tomato, onion, pepper, with hummus and balsam vinaigrette on focaccia. Approximately 450 calories per dish.
3.- The grilled Salmon in Sunshine Seasons (The Land).
It is a piece of grilled salmon with roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes. About 550 calories per dish.
4.- Tori in Tepan Edo (Japan Pavilion)
Chicken with salad, udon pasta, vegetables and steamed rice. approx. 500 calories. In the tepanyaki-type restaurant there are many more options that are also extremely healthy and low in calories to eat. You just don't have to wait for the soy sauce with toreado chiles.
5.- Yasai Udon in Katsura Grill. (Japan Pavilion)
Also in the Japan pavilion is a vegetable udon. It has less than 400 calories.
Disney Hollywood Studios
This park is more recently known for the Star Wars or Toy Story attractions than for any of its restaurants or food. Here are a few options for you if you visit.
1.- Southwest salad in Backlot Express
Romaine lettuce salad with corn, onion and tomato with lime-ranch dressing. There is a version with roast chicken. Approximately 450 calories per serving but can be increased by the ranch dressing.
2.- Fresh Fruit and Vegetables in Anaheim Produce.
As the name says, they have seasonal fruits and vegetables that are freshly cut and packed on the spot for takeout. The calories vary but in a portion of about 150 to 200 grams of fruit, it would be around 100 calories. With the heat that it is in summer in the park, it is a very good option for a fresh snack.
3.- Mediterranean Salad in ABC Commissary
Green leaf salad with cucumber, tomato, peperoncini, feta cheese. Served with hummus and pita bread. There is an option with roast chicken. A high fiber and protein lunch option with 400 calories. Like the previous one, they are good options for vegetarians or vegans.
4.- Zuchii Wrap in Ronto Roasters (Starwars)
Pita bread stuffed with pumpkins and chickpeas prepared with onion, creamy dressing and cilantro. Approximately 300 calories depending on the amount of dressing.
5.- Dirty Tuna Branch in Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo (Starwars)
Tuna in sriracha sauce, with green papaya salad, mushrooms, herbs and crunchy garlic. Approximately 300 calories.
Animal Kingdom
In this park we find some healthy and innovative options to eat.
1.- Harambe Salad in Harambe market. (Africa)
Mediterranean salad with pepperoncini, Kalamata olives, cucumber, tomato and feta cheese in vinaigrette. Approximately 450 calories per dish.
2.- Buffet inTusker House (Africa)
Buffet of seasonal vegetables, grilled meats and seafood. Here you have to take care of the portions and especially see that only a third of the portion that we serve is meat and the rest is vegetables with some whole grain cereals.
3.- Roasted Vegetable Bowl inYak & Yeti Restaurant. (Asia)
Kalbi marinated roasted vegetable bowl served with quinoa, brown rice and sriracha aioli. Approximately 350 calories per dish.
There are many other food options at each park. Not because it is not in this guide, it means it's not a healthy dish, or if it is shared it can´t be an option. As an example, the pizza margarita in the Italian pavilion at EPCOT, more than a 1000 calories, but it is definitely for 2 or more people. In another post about what not to eat at Disney we will put the options of more than 1000 calories per dish.
When it comes to controlling your weight on vacation, you have to consider that each person has a different caloric expenditure and makes a different effort when visiting the parks. In the daily calculation we must also consider the calories of breakfast, if you are also going to have dinner in the park, drinks, desserts, snacks, etc.
The most important thing when choosing food at Disney is to look around and remember where and with whom you are, enjoy it to the fullest and not worry so much about calories. Travel, eat delicious food that is best for you, but above all enjoy it! Let weight be a personal metric that you control throughout your life, it should never be the metric that measures or controls the moments of your life. For weight concerns, see you in the office when you return.
Comments